Closure
by Uncolored186
Summary: Alternate Ending. Post-Episode 346-347. Shiho accepted Jodie's offer to join Witness Protection Program. One-shot.


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**Closure**

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The way she said goodbye had sounded so final. He had been worried, but he pushed the feeling aside, knowing she would not leave them, leave him. True, she had already agreed that she wouldn't run away, but it didn't mean when opportunity was offered, she would refuse. He should have known better. If only he had trusted what his guts was telling him, then he wouldn't have lost her.

"Shin'ichi?"

He blinked before glancing at Ran. "Yes?"

"Is something wrong?"

_Everything's wrong_, he replied mentally. "Nothing's wrong."

A year after Shiho left them, left him, Jodie-sensei gave him a package without telling him from whom. As soon as he saw the content, however, he knew who the sender was. When questioned where she was, Jodie-sensei refused to say anything other than she was fine. With the Black Organisation seized six months prior, there were no more threats, but it seemed Shiho wished not to be found.

"Shin'ichi..." Ran looked at her childhood friend and crush. Ever since his return, Shin'ichi just changed into someone she hardly knew. She had her suspicions that it had something to do with what happened during his absence from school. No matter what she did, she couldn't make him tell her what happened.

Shin'ichi paid no heed to his classmates who whispered behind their hands about him. Even without being told, he knew he had changed. Oh, he still liked to solve cases and all, but he rarely talked to anyone now. No matter how long his friends teased him, he would never humour them, which eventually made them stop teasing him with Ran. As soon as they entered classroom, Sonoko immediately approached Ran while he nodded at her in greeting and made his way to his own seat and looked out of the window.

Minutes later, the bell rang, and everyone went to their respective seat. When Araide-sensei, their homeroom teacher, entered, everyone turned quiet, drawing his attention. Once he turned his head towards the front classroom, his eyes widened, and he stood up in shock.

"Shiho," he muttered in disbelief.

"Please sit down, Kudō-kun." Without waiting for his students' answer, Araide smiled. "Everyone, welcome our new student, Shiho Miyano-san. She came from England, so please be nice."

Shiho stood still, despite Kudō's stare on her. For a short moment, she let the present fade away.

_It was one tiny, single chance in a million. A very small chance, but still a chance nonetheless when she met Yukiko, Shin'ichi's mother, in England. For some reason, the older woman recognised her even though she was no longer in her child form._

_"Haibara-san?"_

_Before she could lie, the woman continued, "Or should I say, Miyano-san?"_

_Lying seemed like a crime at that time, and so, she accepted the invitation to have a cup of tea in a nearby bakery shop._

_"How have you been?" Yukiko smiled at the young woman who she formerly disliked with passion. This Miyano had hurt her only son, so she had every reason to dislike her. Yet, she was no one to judge the young woman. If she were put in her shoes, she might do the same. After all, it hurt to watch the one you liked loved someone else. It was better to leave and start anew. She would be labelled cruel for being happy to see the young woman wasn't doing as good as her son. Miyano might have expressionless face, but if one looked hard enough, her eyes told the world what she felt inside._

_Miyano was lonely and unhappy. Just like Shin'ichi._

_"I've been okay. I guess..." _

_The last part was a whisper, but Yukiko heard it. Not wanting to beat around the bush, she began, "You know, I should have hated you for leaving without so much as a goodbye to my son after what he had done for you, willingly or not. Shin'ichi was—is heartbroken." Ignoring her widened eyes, Yukiko went on, "For the first few weeks, he hardly ate and slept that Yūsaku and I had to go back to Japan just to knock some sense into his head. Even Ran couldn't do anything to bring his old self back."_

_"Why would he..." Shiho struggled but couldn't bring herself to complete the question._

_Yukiko let out a small smile. "My son is quite dense when it comes to girls' feelings, Miyano-san, and even more so when you hid it rather well."_

_"I'm nothing like Mouri-san."_

_Yukiko nodded her head. "Yes, you're nothing like her. However, you are what he wants."_

_Shiho stared at the steam coming from her tea. "He will move on."_

_"I'm sure he will, but not without a closure."_

_"I..."_

_"Miyano-san, I'm asking you to meet my son once again, only once. Give him one chance to express his feelings for you. I won't hold it against you if you think it's not worth it later on. As a mother, I want him to be happy, but at the moment, he's hurting... just as much as you are. If you can't do this for me, then do this for Shin'ichi, who missed you so much."_

Coming back here might not be the best decision she had ever made, but she did want to have a better closure as well. There were too many things that left unsaid. Besides, should anything go wrong, she could always go back to England, where she had a place for herself. Shiho nodded towards her new classmates. "Pleased to meet you all."

When the class became noisy, Araide-sensei tapped his desk with his text books. "Please make your acquaintance later. Lesson starts now."

Hours felt like years for Shin'ichi as he refrained himself from looking at Shiho, who sat behind him, the only free seat they had. When third period was over, indicating the first break, he turned around. They shared a look for a while before he grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the classroom without hesitation. He ignored the murmurs of his friends, the ever so loud Sonoko, who was shouting for leaving without a word, and lastly, Ran's confusion and hurt expression on her face.

They walked until they reached the back of the school. Once he made sure they were alone, he immediately fixed his gaze on Shiho, who remained calm, as always. "Why?"

"That's my line."

"Eh?"

She sighed. "I thought you want to make a love confession since you brought me here, Kudō-kun."

Ire briefly flashed in his blue eyes. "I'm serious, Shiho."

If she was shocked that he called her by her first name, she did not show it.

She looked away from him and softly muttered, "I thought the answer is quite obvious... Shin'ichi."

"..."

"..."

"What are you talking about?"

She glanced back at him without saying a word.

The sadness in her eyes made him take a step back in shock. _What is she—_his eyes widened as his conversation with his mother from long ago suddenly came back to him.

_"Shin-chan..."_

_With a bored look, he turned to his mother. "What?"_

_Yukiko smiled knowingly. "You seem popular with the girls."_

_His face flushed a bit. "Ah, you mean Ayumi-chan?"_

_"There's one more..."_

_Shocked, he could only utter, "Eh?"_

_"Haibara-san."_

_"Huh?" He looked at Haibara. Shock written all over his face._

_"She's stared at your face ten times today."_

_His eyebrow twitched. "She's probably just observing the growth process of her drug's test subject."_

_Yukiko grinned. "Silly. The only reason girls stare at boys, aside from when they have something on their faces, is because they like them."_

_"That Haibara?" He glanced back at Haibara incredulously. "No way..."_

The realisation hit him like a bucket of ice water. Shiho left because of him, because of her feelings for him precisely. Why? Why couldn't he see that before? He kicked himself mentally. How could he be so oblivious? His mother had even hinted the fact, but he just didn't think about it anymore after he asked her _that_ weird question, which earned him a dumbfounded expression on her face. Moreover, the case that followed afterwards made him forget about the topic altogether. Now, the question was how did he feel about her? Did he like her? Or did he love her? Sure, he had been devastated when she was gone. He felt a piece of him was gone with her, but was that _love_ that he felt?

When his parents, especially his mother, noticed the change of his demeanour, his mother only smiled knowingly. When he asked her what happened to him, she only said that he would be able to figure out once he saw _her_ again. And now, with her standing before him, the answer was crystal clear. Did he want to deny it? No. Coming into decision, he nodded to himself. However, he needed to know something first. "Not that I'm not happy, but why do you come back? Why now?"

She shrugged and gazed away. "In case you don't know, Professor Agasa wished to see me."

His stomach dropped slightly. He had thought she returned because of him.

"And to meet the guy I've been seeing for the past few months."

His heart lurched painfully as he truly didn't expect to hear _that_. Was it too late?

"Or maybe not."

His wild thoughts halted into a stop. _Eh?_

She turned back at him with a teasing grin. "I'm just kidding, Shin'ichi."

"Huh?" He was too shocked to comment further and too relieved to remain angry. And so, he chuckled before laughing. "Seriously, Shiho, you really had me there."

"Hmm... if that was not a joke, what will you do?" She gazed into his eyes. Any trace of mirth was gone from her face.

He returned her gaze back just as seriously. "I will fight." _I will fight for your love._

"Are you sure?" _What about Mouri?_

Still looking into her eyes, he stepped forward until he stood before her. He cupped her face. "I've never been so sure." _She's never been anything but a good friend._

When he gently caressed her cheek with his thumb, she leaned into his hand. "If I leave..." _What if I'm forced to leave you?_

He leaned down close to her face. "I'll go with you." _I'll never leave you._

She slowly closed her eyes when their lips inches apart. "I miss you." _I love you._

"I love you, Shiho Miyano," he confessed softly just for her ears and closed the gap between them.

Neither noticed that they had gathered quite an audience with students that whistled at them, nor did they notice Ran, who also watched them with hurt eyes before running away, and Sonoko, who had tried to break the new couple apart once but was prevented by other students, left to follow after her best friend.

What mattered to Shin'ichi was that he had found what he lost, and he refused to let it go.

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**The End**

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading. Please kindly review before you leave. :)


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